Fibroblasts but not epithelial cells obtained from human nasal mucosa produce the chemokine RANTES.

RANTES is a chemokine that was already found in tissues obtained from nasal polyps of patients suffering from chronic polypous sinusitis. Its cellular origin is as yet unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether human nasal mucosa fibroblasts and epithelial cells are capable to produce RANTES. Fibroblasts and epithelial cells, obtained from healthy human nasal mucosa, were cultured. Expression of RANTES-mRNA and secretion of RANTES-protein in supernatants was investigated after stimulation with 50 ng/ml Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interferon-g (IFN-gamma), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), phorbolymyristate acetate (PMA) and serum-free medium (SFM) for 24 h. Cultivated nasal fibroblasts either expressed RANTES-mRNA or secreted RANTES protein upon TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and IFN-gamma stimulation. The amounts of RANTES-protein production ranged from 23 ng/ml (PMA) to 198 ng/ml (TNF-alpha). Nasal epithelial cells expressed RANTES-mRNA only after stimulation with PMA. Secretion of significant amounts of RANTES protein were not detected in the supernatants from nasal epithelial cells. We conclude that nasal fibroblasts but not epithelial cells could be a cellular source of RANTES in nasal mucosa or in secretions of patients suffering from diseases, where eosinophilic tissue infiltration represents a characteristic histopathological feature.